Mavs started the year 5-1 without Luka, now they're 7-6

[HotRocks34]

Here we go again, it appears.



I'm glad that Klay is still doing reasonably well without Luka. He's not going to be the same but IMO getting him in the flow is critical for whatever this team hopes to be in the postseason.

It's all about health. Calves are tricky and you can't play around with the area because of the Achilles. Aaron Gordon is going through the same thing right now in Denver.

Hopefully the team won't fall too far right now and they can't rush Luka back even if they do.

[The-Power]

When Kyrie plays they are still winning a lot in the small sample. It's when both primary creators are missing that the Mavs cannot win. Which is really not surprising. Most teams cannot win many games without their two primary offensive players – and certainly not a team where the drop off is that steep because it is built around these two carrying the offense and role players adding on both ends.

[Edrees]

Good stat to remember next time people want to use small sample sizes of teams playing with injured players

[dirkdiggler4177]

They don't really have any good shot creators besides Luka and Kyrie. An offense run by Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy is not good enough. Marshall has been an excellent playmaker when Luka has been gone, but he has been suspended.
Just like most NBA teams, they look really bad without their playmaker.

[Mavrelous]

Kyrie has missed 2 games, Lively 4, PJ 2, Naji Marshall 4, Exum is still out, basically team has 3 PGs, and 2 or 3 are out so offense suffers, and Mavs defense is elite with Lively and PJ and they have been missing games.
It's frustrating because the team is elite with its starting lineup, but they can't get healthy, there is a virus running through the team that has sidelined players for extended periods and the Nurkic suspension came with Luka out.
If Kyrie recovers these 2 days, team looks to be missing only Luka and Exum, which should make them competetive again.

[Johnny Firpo]

The team has been decimated with injuries and illnesses, most nights at least 3, but sometimes 4 or 5 of our best players were out. You just cannot win NBA games like that, and unfortunately these injuries and illnesses happened at the start of our most difficult stretch in our schedule. It is what it is, this team could have been a 58-60 win team this year, before the injuries we were on pace for a high win number. Could have grabbed Nr. 2 behind OKC convincingly, now it's all going to be an uphill battle.

[maverick_41]

Naji Marshall has let his team down, when he punched Nurkic. Stay outta trouble you crazy kids...

[og15]

Tough to win consistently without your best players. They are 0-3 without Kyrie while Luka is out, I'd imagine it's tough to win without both.

[HotRocks34]

It's frustrating because the team is elite with its starting lineup

It is. This is IMO the best team of the Luka era and now they can't stay healthy.

I still think they can be ok if they head into the postseason healthy and if they have like 6 more weeks to build chemistry beforehand. The chemistry has already improved greatly since the start of the year.

I hope Luka thinks about resting more rather than playing international ball in the summers. Especially after how beat up he was last postseason, I don't think that the extra games with Slovenia did him any favors. Reminds me of how Jamal Murray has been struggling with his body early this year after being dinged in the playoffs and then still playing in the Olympics.

[UglyBugBall]

Naji Marshall has let his team down, when he punched Nurkic. Stay outta trouble you crazy kids...

He had to do it. It proves to the
team and the league at large that he's a dog, and long term it's going to help his career in the NBA and as a member of this team too.

[HotRocks34]

2-0 in the last two games without him and they probably have a legit shot against Denver tomorrow with Gordon's status unclear and Murray leaving the last Nuggets game with knee pain.

9-7. Keep it rolling.

[CobraCommander]

Notice the 76rs are a lottery team without Embiid, pels without zion like all teams - no Luka and no kyrie means little no chance against a healthy team. Don’t worry - they get healthy and they have a chance at the title

[brutalitops]

Team missing two best players is **** then when they are just missing their best player

Amazing insight. I can't believe Realgm is letting AI bots post threads now.

[MavsDirk41]

2-0 in the last two games without him and they probably have a legit shot against Denver tomorrow with Gordon's status unclear and Murray leaving the last Nuggets game with knee pain.

9-7. Keep it rolling.

Without Luka and Irving they are relying on Dinwiddie, Grimes, Hardy, and PJ to carry them offensively. They can be difficult to watch at times but hopefully Irving will be back soon. Tough year for Luka. Hopefully they can hold steady and make a push when he gets back. We need a top 4 seed.

[CobraCommander]

Team missing two best players is **** then when they are just missing their best player

Amazing insight. I can't believe Realgm is letting AI bots post threads now.

The Mavs are a championship caliber team-

Two scorers that can go nuclear - one champion that happens to be the best one on one small guard ever (fight me) - playoff Luka - (which is second only to MJ in terms of being scary MFer with the ball and the game tied and the clock at 15)


Wings that play defense and shoot the 3 and know it’s Luka’s team and kyrie is the copilot

Legit Rim protectors that can go to the moon for lobs

And Klay- the guy with more rings and a shot as perfect as ray allens waiting for open 3s

This is the (when healthy) hardest out in the west -

[MrGoat]

Probably coming back down to earth against Denver tomorrow, Portland is tanking and well I have no idea what the Lakers were doing in the game before... but any win they can pick up right now is huge. Wasting a season would be a huge bummer because I'm not sure how much longer the window with Kyrie is, he's still got it but Father Time is historically not kind to high octane guards his size.

[HotRocks34]

2-0 in the last two games without him and they probably have a legit shot against Denver tomorrow with Gordon's status unclear and Murray leaving the last Nuggets game with knee pain.

9-7. Keep it rolling.

Or maybe not.

Read on Twitter